PARKING charges at Rifleman Field, Haverfordwest, are to be lowered due to due to a “considerable drop” in the car park’s use.

In February 2016, Pembrokeshire County Council (PCC) introduced charges at the site and St Thomas Green in a bid to raise cash.

However, with many motorists choosing to park in the surrounding area free of charge, there are often only a handful of cars in the 140-space Rifleman Field.

The council has now backtracked and will put in place slightly lower charges at the beginning of April to reduce on-street issues.

The current costs are as follows: up to one hour, 40p; two hours, 50p; four hours, £1; 24 hours, £1.50.

As of April 1, the 24-hour charge will go down to 80p and the four-hour charge will be scrapped.

Cllr Thomas Tudor, who put in a notice of motion earlier this month to remove all costs, believes people will still choose to park in the surrounding area while charges remain in place.

“I appreciate that the county council has made some effort,” he said, “but I stick to my notice of motion for the parking charges to be removed.

“If it was free it would alleviate traffic congestion on the road as people are parking on Winch Lane.”

In a cabinet meeting in September, councillors were told of the dramatic drop in vehicles parking at the site.

On one sample day at the end of January 2016, before parking charges were put in place, 126 vehicles used the car park.

Five months later, at the end of May, this number had reduced to 37.

For the same period, the number of cars parked on surrounding streets (including Goat Street, Hill Street, Ellis Avenue, Hammond Avenue and part of Winch Lane) went up from 165 to 226.

The reduction in the 24-hour tariff aims to encourage people who work in the surrounding area to use the car park.

Steve Hopkins, owner of The Bed Shop on Market Street, chooses to park at the Dew Street car park opposite the library.

“Rifleman Field could be utilised for people like myself and other workers in the area to park,” he said.

“By implementing the charges it has been negated.”

The annual income from the car park was estimated to be £9,500.